Nile crocodile (crocodylinae) (Crocodylus niloticus)

The nile crocodile is a living thing because
1. it can grow and develop
2. it can reproduce
3. it responds to it's ennvirement


external image Nile-Crocodile.jpgexternal image images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ5jcgwUyRqv9jpNn-wSZTM25dd7bl0mUyz5Q6cs5jamSCJprFXvw



Growth and develop
The nile crocodylina better kwon as the nile river crocodile is one of the worlds most vicious animal, they can grow up to 18 feet long 30% of males are longer then females. They can weigh up to 900 kg and above. Hatchlings are 12 inches at birth, at 2 years old they will be 4 feet long.

Reproduction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH3xQQ9_ZmI&feature=player_detailpage
During mating season males attracted females by bellowing,slapping their snouts in water, blowing water out of their nose and making a variety of noises, females lay their eggs about 2 months after mating, nesting is in November or December, by the way that's dry season in north Africa and the rainy season in south Africa. The nesting locations are on sandy shores, dry stream beds and riverbanks. The female will dig a hole a few meters from the water 20 inches deep, it can lay 25 to 80 eggs, the average is 50 eggs, most of the time the females nest close together. Crocodile eggs look a bit like chicken eggs but the crocodile egg shell is thinner. Female nile river crocodiles are different then most other female crocodiles because instead of
incubating them the female nile just bury their eggs. After burying the eggs the female (mother) guards their eggs for 3 months. The male (father) will usually stay nearby, both of the parents will viciously attack anything approaching or trying to harm their eggs. The mother will only leave the nest when she needs to cool down, she will cool down by taking a quick dip into the water or she will go under shade. Hatchlings will make high-pitched chirping noises before they hatch, it's the signal for the female (mother) to rip open the nest. The parents will pick up the eggs in their mouth and roll them between their tongue to help crack the eggs shell and release offspring. When the eggs hatch the female (mother) will lead the hatchlings to the water, sometimes the mother will carry them in her mouth.

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external image Nile_crocodile_eggs.jpg


Responds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdDbRvyQ6FM&feature=player_detailpage
When the nile crocodile goes under water it only stay's for a few minutes, but it will stay under water for about 30 minutes if it feels threatened.If food becomes scares the big cats and the nile crocodiles will steal kills from each other depending on it's size, sometimes the outcome will be desided by conflicted.

The nile crocodile meets it's needs in the following ways
1.nutrients and energy
2.water
3.air
4.habitat

Nutrients and energy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h9re1bHt40&feature=player_detailpage
The nile crocodile is an apex predator, in the water the nile crocodile is agile and rapid relying on sound,movement and pressure to catch their prey.Outside the water the nile crocodile can only rely on their limbs as they gallop on the ground chasing their prey.For the nile crocodile most hunting is at night to surprise their prey.In the water the nile crocodile will ambush it's prey, most of the time when an animal has came to the water sides, drinking water...It will jump out of the water in a blink of an eye and it will bite a part of the upper body of the animal,usually the neck and the crocodile will bring it under water to drown the prey.Hatchlings usually eat small fish,frogs and insects sometimes even small birds.

Water
Nile crocodile are very good swimmers, they can hold there breth up to 2 hours, they also can't see well under water so they use there other senses.

Air
Crocodiles usually breath threw their nose, they come up and stick their heads out of the water but not their mouth stays in the water and after they breath they go back under water and the will usually come back every 10 minutes.

Habitat
The nile crocodile is mostly found in the nile river or the coast of the nile delta but now a days they are also found in Uganda,Kenya,Egypt,South Africa and more.They live near.In east Africa they are found mostly in rivers, lakes, marshes, and dams,they are also found in river banks and lakes.

Scientific classification
Kingdom:
[[/wiki/Animal|Animalia]]
Phylum:
[[/wiki/Chordate|Chordata]]
Clade:
[[/wiki/Sauropsida|Sauropsida]]
Clade:
[[/wiki/Crocodylomorpha|Crocodylomorpha]]
Order:
[[/wiki/Crocodylia|Crocodylia]]
Family:
[[/wiki/Crocodylidae|Crocodylidae]]
Subfamily:
[[/wiki/Crocodylinae|Crocodylinae]]
Genus:
[[/wiki/Crocodylus|Crocodylus]]
Species:
C. niloticus
Food chain
The nile river crocodile is at the top of the food chain,but when it is young and small it is at the bottom of the food chain,it can be eaten by big bird,also sometimes it can be eaten by aligater and big fish.



Information from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile_crocodile